Byte of Prevention Blog

Trials and TRIPulations is Perfect for Lawyers on the Road

If you’re traveling to another county for a case, your main concerns are probably locating the courthouse and making it inside before your case is called.

Now you can enhance the pleasure of your trip, thanks to a book written by a long-time North Carolina attorney.

Trials and TRIPulations: Observances from a North Carolina Attorney with an Intra-State Practice was written by Greensboro lawyer Robert N. Weinstein.

The book is part North Carolina travelogue and part memoir. The author calls it a tutorial.

“This tutorial was created for the benefit of North Carolina attorneys as they represent their clients in different courthouses in our beautiful state,” he writes in the preface. “Many sights and sounds await the traveler, be it on a crowded expressway or on a quaint country road.”

Also included: tips on using “travel quiet time” to prepare for your hearing or trial.

Outliving the Day, Coming Safely Home

Mr. Weinstein knows his subject matter well. Having spent decades traveling to courthouses across the state, his book chronicles the sights, sounds and smells he experienced along the way.

“Each courthouse visited had its own identity and each county its own history and beauty, no matter the season of the year” he says. “Many courthouses are discussed, as is the beauty and history found along the way. It would be a perfect complement to North Carolina high school and college civic classes. And new North Carolina lawyers may want to know ‘what’s out there.’”

Chapters include “The Journey,” “Parking During Court Visit” and “Courthouse Security.” There are also descriptions of NC Highway Historical Markers and the NC Wildflower Program.

“In North Carolina all seasons of the year are beautiful times to travel to court in other counties. In the winter, the beauty of a shiny field of frozen dew is spectacular. The spring brings new growth and a general greening all around. In the summer you can expect corn, cotton and soybeans as well as stunning sunflower beds for as far as the eye can see. The fall, of course, produces the magnificent changes of color to bright reds and yellow, and all colors in between. It is from State Roads that you observe these changes, up close and personal.”

Thank You to Court Clerks

The tone of Trials and TRIPulations is warm and affectionate, starting with the Dedication: “To the court personnel in the many counties visited who exhibited warmth and kindness when asked for information and/or directions. A stranger was welcomed time and time again. This represents another element of the beauty of North Carolina.”

The tutorial shows how the future is unfolding before our eyes with new highways, new bridges and new construction, accompanied by the disappearance of familiar parking lots and cozy coffee shops.

And with a wish for “safetravels to the courthouses and back to your office and home,” Mr. Weinstein concluded our recent email conversation with a quote from Shakespeare:

“He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, will stand a tip-toe when this day is named.” (Henry V)

Trials and TRIPulations can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author

Jay Reeves

Jay Reeves practiced law in North Carolina and South Carolina. Over the course of his 35-year career he was a solo practitioner, corporate lawyer, legal editor, Legal Aid staff attorney and insurance risk manager. Today he helps lawyers and firms put more mojo in their practice through marketing, work-life balance and reclaiming passion for what they do. He is available for consultations, retreats and presentations.